DS 406 
.U6 
1944 
Copy 1 








For use of Military Personnel only. Not to 
be republished, in whole or in part, without 
the consent of the War Department. 


Prepared by 

ARMY INFORMATION BRANCH, ASF 
UNITED STATES ARMY 


REVISED EDITION 


APRIL 1944 



rnmrn 




A 


POCKET QUID E ^ T O 





WAR AND NAVY DEPARTMENTS 
WASHINGTON, D. C. 















$ 







A SHORT GUIDE TO INDIA 

CONTENTS 

Introduction.. . i 

India and the Global War.2 

Your First Impressions.5 

The People of India.6 

Getting Along With the People.21 

The Country ..27 

The Government.29 

India’s Fighting Forces.38 

Know Your Allies.40 

Rank of Commissioned Officers.41 

India at War.41 

Health and Sanitary Conditions.43 

Indian Currency.45 

Do’s and Don’ts.46 

Hints on Pronouncing Hindustani.47 

List of Most Useful Words and Phrases .... 52 
Additional Words and Phrases.57 


















AMERICAN SOLDIERS IN INDIA 

1. The sole purpose of the American forces in India is 
to prosecute the war of the United Nations against the 
Axis Powers. In the prosecution of the war in that area 
the primary aim of the Government of the United States 
is to aid China. 

2. American forces are not to indulge to the slightest 
degree in activities of any other nature unless India 
should be attached by the Axis powers, in which event 
American troops will aid in defending India. 

3* American forces in India will exercise scrupulous care 
to avoid the slightest participation in India's political 
problems, or even the appearance of so doing. 

4« /« the event of internal disturbances American troops 
will resort to defensive measures only should their own 
personal safety, or that of other American citizens be en¬ 
dangered or for the necessary protection of American 
military supplies and equipment. 


August 12, 1942. 


A STATEMENT BY THE UNITED STATES 
DEPARTMENT OF STATE 


INTRODUCTION 


YOU and your outfit have been assigned one of the 
most important military missions ever given to American 
soldiers—the task of driving the Japanese back to Tokyo. 
In this global war it is not enough that you should be able 
to destroy or immobilize all who are your nation’s en¬ 
emies; you must be able to win the respect and good will 
of all who are not. 

Right now the world is our workshop and whether we, 
and the other United Nations, can get it back in running 
order again depends on how much we know about the 
materials in it—meaning the people. By winning their 
confidence and convincing them of our good faith, we 
shall find many short cuts to success over the enemy and 
lay the foundations of international understanding that 
are essential to building a worth-while, enduring peace. 

In India your job is doubly difficult. To drive the 
Japanese armies out of Burma where they now threaten 
invasion of Assam, India’s^easternmost province, is a mili¬ 
tary operation of sizable proportions. To keep them on 
the run, out of Indo-China and China itself, is still more 
formidable. 


1 


Then, too, India is a complex country, difficult for 
people like ourselves to understand. It is a country whose 
people are going through a far-reaching political upheaval. 
They, as we did over i6o years ago, seek to gain political 
independence. 

If you are to complete your mission in the measure 
expected of you as an American, discretion and tact will 
be required of you at all times in your dealings with 
the Indian people and the soldiers beside whom you will 
fight. Most of all you will need to know something about 
India, her people and the problems they face. That is 
the reason for this guide, prepared for your continuing 
study. With its help and by keeping your eyes and ears 
open, you’ll find out enough about the country, complex 
and contradictory as it is, to get along. 

INDIA AND THE GLOBAL WAR 

ONE glance at the world map on pages i6 and will 
show you why the United Nations must hold India and 
why that need is great enough that American forces 
have been sent to share in the undertaking. This sub¬ 
continent, jutting into the Indian Ocean, lies across some 
of the most vital sea lanes of the United Nations. It is 
the greatest territorial barrier to the joining of the major 
forces of our Axis enemies. India is just about equi- 

2 


distant between Rome, Berlin, and Tokyo. It is 2,000 
miles from Aden, the important base covering the south¬ 
ern end of the Red Sea and protecting the Allies supply 
lines looping around South Africa to serve our forces in 
Egypt, the Middle East and Russia. Singapore, the gate 
on the Malacca Strait which is the main highway to the 
waters of eastern Asia, is a like distance away. Thus 
India might become the main base of our advance 
against Japan’s positions in Burma, Malaya, and Thai¬ 
land, or the springboard by which the Japanese can drive 
westward against the positions which enable the forces 
of the United Nations to control the Middle East and 
the Indian Ocean. 

The forces of the United Nations hold India’s numer¬ 
ous excellent ports. Likewise, the United Nations hold 
the great naval base at Trincomalee in Ceylon, and the 
strong British base at Aden which covers the entrance 
to the Red Sea. These holdings give our side strategic 
command of a body of water—the Indian Ocean—which 
, serves three continents. Were Axis forces to gain control 
of these bases, we would no longer have command of 
the seas. India is the principal base which must be 
strengthened to assure the continuation of this command. 
Our forces and those of the British Empire are cooperat¬ 
ing toward this end. 


3 













































YOUR FIRST IMPRESSIONS 


INDIA is a strange, colorful land, one that relatively few 
Americans have seen. Customs, dress, language, color, 
religious beliefs and political institutions will have little 
resemblance to anything you have known in America. 
If you exercise a normal amount of curiosity you’ll learn 
much that is fascinating; much that will enable you to 
begin stories to your children or grandchildren in later 
years, “Now, when I was in India . . .” 







Probably the first thing you will notice is the strange¬ 
ness of Indian dress. After you’ve experienced the Indian 
sun you’ll realize that the costume worn by Indian men 
and women results from centuries of living in a climate 
one American soldier described as “too hot, too cold, too 
wet, too dry.” 

As you see more of the Indian people, you will en¬ 
counter many customs that are strange and new to 
Americans. A large number of them have grown out of 
the religions of the country and are therefore most 
sacred. You should respect them as you would wish your 
own beliefs and ways of living respected by strangers. 

Naturally, there are a number of obstacles to establish¬ 
ing friendly relations with the people of India—differ¬ 
ences of language, custom, and religion. Furthermore, 
Indian soldiers and people are apt to be shy and reserved 
toward foreigners. But they will respond to friendly 
treatment. If you do nothing to wound their pride or 
insult their religious beliefs, you will have little difficulty 
in winning their respect and good will. 

T H E P E O P L E O F I N D I A 

When Christopher Columbus sighted land-fall—the island 
of Santo Domingo—he thought he had reached the. 
fabulously wealthy lands known as the Indies and he 

6 


called the people he found there Indians. The people 
you will meet, more than 12,000 miles from home, are 
the real Indians. It may take you some time to get used 
to calling them that, but it is important that you do. 
The Indian people dislike being called natives; it makes 
them think you regard them as inferior. 

Some Facts and Figures. There are two things about the 
Indian people you will notice almost immediately. There 
are a lot of them and they are bewilderingly different in 
their language, religion and physical appearance. 

Today, one man in every five in the world calls India 
his home. In an area a little more than half as large as 
the United States there are about 389,000,000 people— 
three times as many as we have. 

Nine out of ten Indians live off the land, farming very 
small patches of earth, and it is an incredibly poor living 
for most of them. The average Indian farmer for instance, 
will earn in a year, if he’s lucky, about as much as you, 
as an American soldier, are paid in a month. Indian 
farmers live in small villages—there are some 700,000 of 
them—and often have to walk a mile or two from their 
homes to reach the small plot of farm land that belongs 
to them. 

The country has about 100 different languages and 

7 


dialects, but there are only 24 important ones, each of 
which is spoken by a million or more people. If you 
inspect Indian paper money carefully, you’ll notice that 
on the backs of the bills the word “rupee” is written in 
eight different languages. If you want to amaze your 
comrades, incidentally, win a few bets, here is the list to 
memorize—Urdu, Hindustani, Bengali, Burmese, Tamil, 
Telegu, Kanarese, and Gujerati. 

Sixty-five percent of the Indian people observe the 
Hindu faith; slightly more than 25 percent are Moslems, 
followers of the prophet Mohammed. The other 40,000,000 
Indians belong to a bewildering variety of religions and 
cults. Since India’s problems are complicated by the 
religious differences of the people, the first thing to do 
in finding out something about the Indians is to tackle 
the problem of religion. 

The Hindus. There are 256,000,000 Hindus in India, 
believers in the God Brahma, creator of everything in the 
world. Brahma is so great and so far removed from 
ordinary human affairs that the Hindus do not worship 
him directly. Rather they worship his presence in other 
minor gods of whom there are a great number. 

Religious observance by the Hindus is an individual 
matter; there is no group ceremony like the church serv- 


ices we know. When you see a Hindu with a U-shaped 
or three-pronged fork freshly painted on his forehead, he 
will have just returned from worshipping at a temple of 
the god Vishnu, one of the most important Hindu gods. 
Likewise, the Hindu who worships at a temple of Shiva 
will have a horizontal smear of ash rubbed across his 
forehead. As a rule, the Hindu makes individual offer¬ 
ings of incense or fruit and says his prayers in a temple 
or before a shrine, many of which you will see along the 
roadside. Every Hindu honors a collection of ancient 
books called the Veda. 

Sacred Cows. We Americans use the term “sacred cow” 
in a joking way. In India there isn’t anything funny about 
it. Literally, to the Hindu, the cow and the bull are 
sacred; so much so that while you may see Hindus push¬ 
ing cattle out of the way or driving them from open mar¬ 
ket stalls, nd Hindu would dream of killing a cow. 

There are nearly 200,000,000 cows in India—one for 
every two persons—so you will see plenty of them wan¬ 
dering unmolested along the main streets of towns and 
along the highways. Compared to the cattle you see in 
America, India’s cows are a sorry lot mainly because there 
are too many of them; there is not enough fodder to go 
around. They are no respecters of motor traffic and one 

9 


does have to be particularly careful when driving along 
the roads. In some parts of India the penalty for killing 
a cow, even by accident, may be as much as seven years in 
jail. There are other sacred animals besides cows—monkeys 
and peacocks, for instance. It is just as well to avoid 
harming any of these animals no matter where you are. 

The CSSte System. Every Hindu is born into a caste 
from which he must take his wife and which often de¬ 
termines how he shall earn a living. For instance those 
belonging to a certain caste will be water-carriers by 
occupation and their sons, as a rule, will continue to carry 
water. In modern times members of such a caste will 
go into other occupations without losing their place as a 
member of that caste. All together there are some 2,000 
castes and subcastes. 

Originally, there were four main caste groups: the 
Brahmans, or priests; the Kashatriya, or warrior group; 
the Vaisya, or merchants; and the Sudras, who were the 
farmers. Within these main groups, innumerable sub¬ 
castes developed until the main group itself became all 
but forgotten. 

Today, as the highest caste, the Brahmans stand at the 
top of the social ladder. They often are the priests and 
the scholars of Hindu society. Brahmans may carry the 

10 


honorary title of Pandit (learned man), as Pandit Nehru, 
from which our term pundit (meaning heavy-duty 
thinker) derives. Brahmans also are found in many 
other occupations, ranging from farming to accountancy. 
Many are messengers in government service, while others 
are cooks. Brahmans are especially desirable as cooks since 
food prepared by them, under the caste rules, can be 
eaten by members of any caste or subcaste. Otherwise 
Hindus may only eat food prepared by one of equal 
or superior caste standing. No matter what his occu- 


pation, the Brahman is still a member of the elite class. 

The present caste system is by no means fixed. There 
are many subdivisions within each caste and new ones 
are constantly being formed. For instance, a former 
regiment of the Indian Army known as the Queen’s Own 
Sappers and Miners used to recruit its men from Indians 
living near Madras in south India. It is reported that 
among these there is a special and highly superior caste 
growing up known as Queensap, made up of those who 
have served or descended from those who have served 
in the Queens Own Sappers and Miners. 

Getting back to the Brahmans, you will see them every¬ 
where wearing a sacred thread over the left shoulder as 
insignia of their rank. All Brahmans are vegetarian, 
as are most Hindus of the higher castes. To them killing 
any animal, even for food, is a sin. 

As the highest caste. Brahmans take extreme care to 
keep themselves pure, according to caste rules. If a Brah¬ 
man should brush against someone of a lower caste, he 
will have to take a bath immediately in order to become 
pure again. If his food is touched by one of a lower caste, 
it immediately becomes unfit for him to eat. Because of 
these special rules, the food problem with Indian troops 
is a difficult one. Try not to offend their religious customs 
and stay away from Indian soldiers when they are eating. 

12 


As a foreigner you have no caste standing and even your 
shadow falling on their food might make it necessary for 
them to throw it away. 

With the growth of industrial development and 
modern living conditions in the cities, there has been 
some break-down in rigid caste rules. You may see 
Indians of different castes eating together in Calcutta 
or Bombay. But the rules are strictly observed in villages 
in rural India, particularly in the south. It is the best 
course of action not to risk giving offense no matter 
where you are. If you are in doubt about what to do, be 
frank about it and ask someone’s advice. 

There are a large number of Hindus who are outside 
the caste structure. They are called the “Untouchables” 
or in official documents the “Depressed Classes” and are 
often pitifully poor. In rural villages the section in which 
the Untouchables live is sometimes set off several hun¬ 
dred yards from the rest of the houses. Many of India’s 
present leaders have worked to improve their miserable 
conditions of life, but progress has been slow. 

The Moslems. Next to the Hindus, the largest and most 
important group in India are the Moslems. They first 
came to India about i,ooo years ago, pouring down 
through the mountain passes in the northwest. They 

13 


settled in the conquered northern regions and made con¬ 
verts to the religion of Islam. 

Because of their warlike background and because their 
religion is a more militant one than that of the Hindus 
who ordinarily believe in nonviolence, the Moslems make 
up a substantial part of the Indian Army. That doesn’t 
mean that Hindu’s don’t make good soldiers. They have 
proven that they do in this war, as well as the last. 

In contrast to the many Hindu gods, Moslems believe 
in one god only—ALLAH. They have no caste system 
and they follow the teachings of their great Prophet, 
Mohammed. Their religion is called Islam (is-LAHM). 

Moslems pray five times a day, kneeling and bowing 
to the ground, facing in the direction of Mecca, their 
holy city in Arabia. They worship in congregations at 
their mosques where the service consists mainly of read¬ 
ing from the Koran, their holy book. Moslems eat beef 
but not pork. They are extremely touchy about this, so 
be careful never to offer a Moslem pork or anything 
cooked in pork products. They use separate drinking 
fountains and toilet facilities which are provided at rail¬ 
road stations and other public places. They regard it as a 
sin to expose the body. Be most careful not to offend 
them in this respect. 

It’s a good rule to keep away from both Moslem 


14 


mosques and Hindu temples unless you are in the hands 
of a competent guide. The presence of unbelievers is 
resented. You might innocently offend their most sacred 
customs. For instance, you would be desecrating a mosque 
or a temple if you entered wearing shoes. 

Always keep an attitude of respect and your uninten¬ 
tional offenses will be more readily forgiven. Never smile 
or joke among yourselves at peculiarities or strange cus¬ 
toms that you observe. Your English may be understood. 
Even if not, your mocking attitude will be sensed and 
fiercely resented. 

You will hear much about the enmity between Hindus 
and Moslems. There are religious and political problems 
which sometimes result in clashes between the two 
groups. Yet many Hindus and Moslems live side by side 
all of their lives without trouble; in the main, you 
probably won’t be able to tell a Moslem from a Hindu 
at a glance. 

The Sikhs. The Sikhs, from Northern India, belonging 
mostly to the Punjab region, are neither Hindu nor 
Moslem. They are followers of lo teachers called Gurus, 
the last of whom was Guru Govind Singh who died with¬ 
out naming a successor. They have great reputations as 
fighting men. A Sikh to become a “Singh”, that is, a 

15 


S O V 










follower of the tenth Guru, goes through an initiation 
ceremony which entitles him to include “Singh” (which 
means lion) in his name. There are about six million 
Sikhs in India. They are tall and large of frame. In peace¬ 
time they are farmers, policemen and mechanics as well 
as soldiers. They operate most of the taxicabs in the 
larger cities and for all of their fierce looks, they are 
friendly unless aroused. 

The Sikhs are not supposed to cut their hair. They 
braid their beards and tie them up inside their turbans. 
The legend is that as warriors, they must always be ready 
to fight at a moment’s notice with no time to shave or cut 
their hair, hence the long hair and the cOmb always stuck 
in it. The long hair is one of the five “k’s” observed by 
the Sikhs. They must have their hair long (kesh), use an 
iron bracelet on the right wrist (Kara), wear short under¬ 
pants (kachh), use a wooden comb (kanga) and carry a 
full size or miniature knife with an iron handle (kirpan). 

The Parsees. Almost everywhere in India, but especially 
around Bombay you will see the Parsee merchant, distin¬ 
guished often by his shiny black hat. The Parsees are a 
relatively small group numbering only about 100,000. 
They came from Persia originally and follow Zoroaster as 
their prophet. Usually the Parsees are well-to-do, mostly 

18 


business and professional men. Some of them are among 
the great industrialists in India. The Tata family, which 
built the huge steel works at Jamshedpur, the largest in 
the British Empire, are Parsees. 

The Gurkhas. Special mention should be made of the 
Gurkhas, a warlike, sturdy and cheerful race. They are 
Hindus but unlike most Hindus have a strong military 
tradition. They came from the independent kingdom of 
Nepal, on the northeast frontier but are permitted to join 
the Indian Army as volunteers. They have maintained a 
spirit of close camaraderie with British soldiers and espe¬ 
cially enjoy playing western games, particularly football. 

Europeans in India. The term “European” in India gen¬ 
erally means British. But it also includes other European 
peoples and some Americans. The British once held all 
the important governmental posts in the country and still 
hold many of them. British business men have developed 
India’s trade and control much of the banking system. 
They manage many of India’s factories. 

For many years outstanding graduates of Oxford and 
Cambridge went to India as young men and served thero 
all of their lives in the Indian Civil Service, which is the 
administrative branch of the government. But in recent 

19 


years Indians have come increasingly into positions of 
responsibility both in business and government. 

You go to India at a time when the relations between 
the Indians and the British are under strong tension. It 
is better for you not to discuss this situation. You can 
rub a Britisher or an Indian the wrong way by trying 
to give him advice about Indian affairs. The statement 
made by your own State Department, printed in the front 
of this book, should govern your actions and your talk. 

When you come into contact with Britishers in India, 
remember they are naturally reserved. They respect each 
other’s privacy. If Britons are slow to strike up conver¬ 
sation with you, remember they are that way with each 
other. It does not mean they are being haughty or un¬ 
friendly. They don’t speak to you'because they don’t want 
to appear intrusive or rude. 

The British dislike bragging or showing off. American 
wages and American soldier’s pay are the highest in the 
world and money goes a long way in India. When pay 
day comes, it would be sound practice to learn to spend 
your money according to the standards of the community 
where you are. The British consider you highly paid. 
They won’t think any better of you for throwing money 
around. They are more likely to think you have not 
learned the common-sense virtues of thrift. The British 


20 


soldier is apt to be especially touchy about the difference 
between his pay and yours. Keep this in mind. Use 
common sense and don’t rub him the wrong way. 

Don’t be misled by the British tendency to be soft- 
spoken and polite. If they need to be they can be plenty 
tough. The British can take it. They have proved it in 
the course of this war. In India they have every reason 
for building solid friendship with us—as we have with 
them. Remember that the British soldier who has been 
out in India has learned many things about how to live 
and get along in the country. He can give you many 
practical tips that will help you in India. At the same 
time it is a good idea to form your own impressions and 
learn for yourself. 

GETTING ALONG WITH THE PEOPLE 

IF you are good-natured and patient in your dealings 
with Indians you won’t have any trouble with them even 
if you find some of their ways hard to understand and 
even annoying at times. For instance, they feel it is only 
polite to tell you what you want to hear. Very often that 
politeness of theirs will get you much misinformation. 

If you ask: “Is this the right road to-the Indian 

probably will say “Yes”, even if it isn’t. To be on the safe 
side ask: “Which road goes to our camp, etc?” 


21 



Almost anywhere you go in India, you will find people 
who speak at least some English. Although many lan¬ 
guages are spoken, the most widespread is Hindustani. 
It will pay you to learn some common words and phrases 
of Hindustani, which you will find at the end of this book. 

Indi3n Women. Indians are great family men. But their 
wives are kept much more secluded than western women. 
In certain circles it is a breach of good manners to inquire 
of a man about his wife or to mention women in any 
respect in conversation. A married woman wears a red 
spot in the center of the forehead. Many wear a small 
jewel in the side of the nose purely as an ornament as 
American women wear earrings. The jewel has no re¬ 
ligious or caste significance. 

Indian women keep to their homes as much as possible. 
Most Moslem and many Hindu women take particular 
care not to show their faces before strangers and wear 
heavy veils when out of doors. In the villages and rural 
sections where women are working out of doors, you 
should exercise special care not to stare at them or address 
. them. Many will run at the approach of a white man. 

Hospitality. Indians are hospitable people. If they invite 
you to their homes, accept the invitation. They will be 

22 


glad to have you and the experience will be interesting. 
But don’t be surprised if the women members of the 
household are absent. 

You should follow the example of your host. Often that 
may mean sitting on the floor and eating with your 
fingers instead of with knife and fork. Whatever the 
family customs is, you should follow it. The Indians will 
overlook your social errors and give you full credit for 
trying to adapt yourself. 

Indians chew betel nut, much as we smoke cigarettes. 
The nut is wrapped in a leaf buttered with lime and then 
chewed like tobacco, only you will spit red instead of 
brown. When you are offered betel or any gift, you may 
just touch it if you do not wish to take it. Touching the 
-gift means that you have accepted it in the spirit in which 
it was offered. 

Don’t accept any presents from an Indian other than 
some small token, never anything of value. You would 
be expected to return in kind, often with some favor. 

Shopping in India. A small storekeeper or trader at a 
bazaar in most cases will ask you more for his goods 
than he expects to get. Bargain with him. It is a game. 
He expects to be beaten down to anywhere from two- 
thirds to one-third of his asking price. Everyone bargains. 

23 


It is part of the social life of these people. But they do it 
politely and in good humor. Larger stores of the American 
and English type may have fixed prices, plainly marked. 

If you ride in a taxicab, tonga, or rickshaw, settle the 
fare before you get in. The price of any service should be 
fixed in advance or you may have an argument when the 
time comes to pay, and in any such argument the stranger 
is at a disadvantage and usually loses. 

























One should tip for everything, but only at the end of 
the service or stay. Do not overtip. Keep small change on 
hand. In hotels you tip everyone—a rupee for the head- 
waiter and the head room bearer, half a rupee (8 annas) 
for the sweepers, porters, water boys and luggage porters 
at the station. 

Be careful not to leave firearms around. They are likely 
to be stolen. 

Telephone communication is slow and poor. Messenger 
service often is more satisfactory. 

Most Indians have a different idea about time and 
punctuality from ours. If a man says he will come at 5 
o’clock he doesn’t necessarily mean 5 o’clock sharp but 
within an hour or two of five. If you instruct a workman 
to finish a job by Tuesday, he may take it to mean merely 
sometime soon. If you want work done on time, you 
must keep a close check on the progress of it. All work 
stops on holidays, which sometimes last for several days. 

Beggars and Holidays. The most important of the Hindu 
holidays are: Holi, which is a spring festival, something 
like our Hallowe’en in spirit, at which red or yellow pow¬ 
der is thrown around like confetti and colored water is 
used for water fights; Diwali which is the “feast of lamps”, 
when every city and village is ablaze with lights; and 


Dashara, in October, at which time all Hindus pay their 
respects to the tools of their trade. 

In India you will see more beggars with more pitiful 
faces and misshapen bodies than you have ever seen 
before. If you give something to one a dozen others will 
crowd around you, especially at railroad stations. Many 
of them are professional panhandlers. But there are also 
many holy men—or fakirs—among them; religious men 
who have given up their homes and possessions to wander 
from place to place, living on the charity of the people. 
Some wear orange-yellow robes. Others wear little cloth¬ 
ing and smear their bodies with ashes. Most have matted 
hair, often worn in a coil on top of the head. They may 
ask you for something. Whether or not you give them 
anything, treat them with respect. They are holy to the 
people because they have devoted their lives to religion. 

Wherever you go, people may crowd around you, 
especially where American soldiers have not been seen 
before. The only way to shake the crowd is to go away 
fast. If you are in a jam, find a policeman. Don’t try to 
fight your way out. One of the worst things you can do 
in India is to lose your temper. If you keep your temper, 
and remain good-natured, Indians who are courteous by 
nature will respond. But avoid even good-natured rough¬ 
housing. You may accidentally injure an Indian and 

26 


trouble would result. Furthermore don’t ever touch an 
Indian’s turban. It is sacred. Even the most playful touch 
from you would be an insult. Address Indians with 
courtesy, never in such abrupt manner as calling out, 
“Hey, you.” The word “bhai,” or brother is always safe 
and will not give offense. 

If you find yourself out alone and need something in 
a village, be sure to go to the headman of the village. 
He will help you, and it is well to negotiate everything 
through him. 

THE COUNTRY 

INDIA’S teeming millions live in an ancient country, 
rich in lore, with contrasting splendor and poverty, and 
filled with sights you will never forget. It is a country 
as large as all of Europe west of Russia, about 2,000 miles 
from east to west and from north to south. By train it 
is three days from Karachi on the west coast to Calcutta 
on the east. 

In India is the world’s highest mountain peak. Mount 
Everest in the Himalayas, towering more than 5 miles. 
Some of the wildest and least explored country on the 
globe is to be found in the north. There are the blazing 
deserts of Sind and Baluchistan, the flat moist tracks of 
Bengal, and the yvheat fields of the Punjab and the 
United Provinces. Jungles with strange beasts—some of 

27 



which you have seen in zoos or circuses—-the tiger, ele¬ 
phant, bear, rhinoceros, jackal, hyena, wolf, and leopard. 
Many villages are protected from marauding animals by 
stockades of tall, pointed sticks. In the hill districts of 
Assam, for instance, some tribes are almost untouched 
by modern civilization. 

India’s civilization is ancient. Long before the time of 
Columbus, when Europe was peopled by primitive tribes, 
Indians were building great masterpieces of architecture. 
Excavations reveal that populous cities were in existence 
5,000 years ago. For centuries, India’s gold and diamonds 
and precious stones have enabled native princes to deco¬ 
rate themselves in glittering splendor unequaled anywhere. 

The valley of the sacred Ganges, in eastern India, is 
the most densely populated part of the country and most 
of the industry is there. Bengal province has 6o million 
people. Its capital, Calcutta, is the next largest city in the 
British Empire, second only to London, and is India’s 
first industrial center. 

Eastern India, particularly Bengal and Assam which 
adjoins it, are militarily important because they are next 
door to Burma where the Japs are now established. This 
area is one of the gateways to China. 

Some distance up the Ganges from Calcutta is the holy 
city of Benares where thousands of pilgrims go each year 

28 


to bathe in the sacred waters. Further up is Agra, famous 
for the Taj Mahal. This exquisite structure, made of 
white marble is one of the architectural wonders of the 
world. Thousands of tourists visit it every year in peace¬ 
time. See it if you have the opportunity. Especially, see it 
by moonlight. 

A short distance above Agra is Delhi, the capital city. 
It is an ancient community, one of the oldest in India, 
with crumbling forts and palaces. In the old city camel 
wagons and throngs of people provide one of the most 
colorful scenes in all India. Five miles away is the 
modern city of New Delhi, built in the present century 
as the capital of India. It is laid out on a spacious plan 
that reminds an American of Washington. Forty years 
ago it was a desert plain. 

The Indus river flows southwest through the province 
of Sind and into the sea near the important port of 
Karachi. It has an enormous watershed but the western 
lands through which it flows are mainly barren deserts. 

THE GOVERNMENT 

POLITICALLY, India is composed of two parts, the one 
called “British India” and the othef, “the Indian States.” 
Both are subject to the authority of a Governor-General, 
known as the Viceroy, appointed by the British Govern- 

29 


ment in London. He is assisted by a Council of 15 mem¬ 
bers whom he appoints. He and his Council have final 
authority in India, but they are subject to the rule of the 
British Parliament back home. 

In British India there is a central legislative assembly 
elected by the people which makes laws and votes on the 
spending of the government’s money, except appropria¬ 
tions for defense. This legislature has wide powers al¬ 
though the Viceroy may veto its actions if he so wishes. 
British India has ii provinces each of which has a gov¬ 
ernor appointed by London. Also in each province there 
is a legislature elected by the people. The system is some¬ 
what like that of our own country where we have a 
Federal Government in Washington and a Government 
in each State which deals with local affairs. 

Each of the provinces of British India has roughly 25 
districts, with a capital and a group of civil-service officials 
to administer it. The head officer in any district is the 
magistrate. Usually an Indian, he is also the liaison man 
for his district with the outside world. At district head¬ 
quarters there is also a doctor and the superintendent of 
police, plus other officials who deal with problems of agri¬ 
culture, forestry, and public health. If you want to get 
something from the Government, the place to go is dis¬ 
trict headquarters. It is customary for army officers to call 

30 


on the magistrate and the police chief when they arrive in 
a district. 

In the Indian states, government is organized differently . 
These states are ruled by Indian princes who have treaties 
with the British Government under which they have 
surrendered all control over their foreign affairs, but have 
retained the right to run their own internal business. 
Some of the biggest states have small armies, all the larger 
ones have at least police forces. There are 562 of these 
states, whose princes may have curious names, such as 
the Jam Sahib of Nawanagar or the Wali of Swat. The 
largest is about the size of Kansas; one of the smallest, 
Bilbari, has a total population of 27 and an area of 
square miles. The Indian states, scattered all over the 
country, all together make up about two-fifths of India. 

In British India there are schools, hospitals, irrigation 
works and many other things which the country needs. 
Many of the Indian States have the same sort of advan¬ 
tages and some are even more progressive. There are 
others which have made almost no modern progress. The 
reason is that in the Indian States, the ruler is able to 
do as he pleases, within limits. When he wishes, the state 
is well governed. When he spends the state’s money on 
luxuries and takes no interest in the welfare of his 
people, conditions are most appalling. 


31 



1 




































Many of the improvements in living conditions and in 
political development of the Indian people have come 
about in the last 50 years. You may think there is a good 
deal more to be done. There is. At the same time, you 
should realize that much has been done and that the 
problem in India has been partly one of how fast it is 
possible to advance. 

There is a great deal of feeling in India that the 
country should be entirely self-governing and not con¬ 
trolled at all by the British Parliament. A number of 
Indian parties exist which are trying to get full self- 
government, but they do not entirely agree with one 
another on the details of how this self-government should 
be organized. 

The strongest party is the Indian National Congress, 
most of whose members are Hindu. Its chief leaders 
are Mohandas Gandhi, called Mahatma, meaning “great 
soul” and Jawaharlal Nehru, both of whom are Hindus, 
and Maulana Abdul Kalam Azad, a Moslem, who is the 
president of the party. Most members of the Congress 
wear round white caps shaped somewhat like an Ameri¬ 
can soldier’s service cap. The Congress wants the British 
to give the government of India completely over to the 
Indian people. 

The problem of Indian independence has been made 


34 


difficult by the fact that in India politics are closely tied 
to religion. Some of the religious groups mentioned 
earlier in the Guide distrust one another politically. 

There are only about one-third as many Moslems as 
there are Hindus and they are afraid that a majority 
government controlled by the more numerous Hindus 
would mean that they would be neglected. They have 
their own party called the Moslem League; Its President 
is Mohammed Ali Jinnah. Not all Moslems belong to 
this party any more than all Hindus belong to the Con¬ 
gress, and many Moslems do not think that the fears 
of the Moslem League are justified. The league has been 
demanding that India be divided into at least two sepa¬ 
rate nations. One nation would be the part of the country 
where the Hindus are in the majority. The other nation 
would be that where the Moslems are in thfe majority. 
This plan is called Pakistan. The league has declared that 
it will not accept any kind of full self-government for 
India without Pakistan. 

A third political group is that of the Sikhs. The Sikhs 
live in the Punjab where the Moslems are in the ma¬ 
jority, but they are afraid of the Moslems and have the 
same feeling toward them that the Moslems have toward 
the Hindus. They do not want to live in a nation where 
the Mohammedans would be ruling. 


35 


The Hindu Untouchables, members of the lowest castes, 
called Depressed Classes, also have a party. They want 
independence for India only if they are sure that they 
will have a better life than is now possible for them. 

Another group consisting of middle and upper caste 
Hindus make up a party called the Hindu Mahasabha. 
This demands that India would be ruled by the majority, 
meaning the Hindus, and is willing to fight for that 
principle. It is different from the Congress because the 
Congress says that it does not stand for either the Hindus 
or the Moslems but merely for all India, but the Hindu 
Mahasabha says that India belongs to the Hindus and 
that they should rule it. 

After the Cripps Mission in the spring of 1942 failed 
to reach a solution with the Indian parties to India’s be¬ 
wildering political problems, Gandhi began preparations 
for a nation-wide campaign of civil disobedience and non¬ 
cooperation. This weapon has been frequently used. Its 
principle is to avoid the use of violence but to refuse to 
work, to refuse to obey Government orders, to paralyze 
the country by strikes in shops, stores, and communica¬ 
tions. When the campaign was attempted in the summer 
of 1942, the British authorities arrested Gandhi, Nehru, 
Azad and other Congress Party leaders. 

You can see how complicated all this matter is. The 


36 


British say that they will give India full self-government 
after the war but claim that they cannot do so now 
when the Indian parties disagree among themselves. 
Many Indians, on the other hand, want full self-govern¬ 
ment now and believe if it is granted, their political dif¬ 
ferences could be settled. 

American soldiers should keep out of argument on this 
controversy with either British or Indians, no matter 
where their sympathy lies. Americans are in India to 
fight the Axis. You should stick to that and not try to 









































settle the Indian political problem. What we want is to 
cooperate with both the British and the Indians to beat 
the Japanese. Your place is to keep your eyes and ears 
open and your mouth shut. 

INDIA’S FIGHTING FORCES 

THE Indian Army^ now numbering well over 1,000,000 
men, all of them volunteers, forms an important part of 
the United Nations spear head against the Japanese in 
Asia. Indian units have made brilliant fighting records in 
the fighting in Libya and other fronts. Because you will 
be fighting side by side with these splendid soldiers, you 
may want to know something about the Indian Army 
and the men in it. 

Evolution of the Indian Army. The first Indians enlisted as 
troops by the British were recruited as guards for the 
East India Companies factories (trading posts) in 1763. 
The guard units increased greatly in size and by 1796 
were organized into three armies—those of Bengal, Bom¬ 
bay, and Madras—with a total strength of 57,000 Indian 
troops and 30,000 British. After 1857, the British govern¬ 
ment took over control of India and the Army from the 
East India Company. At that time, the Army stood at 
72,000 British and 153,000 Indian troops. Basically, the 

38 


Army’s job, in addition to internal security, was to pro¬ 
tect the northwest frontier from the raids of the fierce 
tribesmen of Afghanistan. 

India in the Last War. When World War l broke out, the 
Indian Army consisted of about 235,000 troops, 67 percent 
Indian. Indian troops fought in France, in Mesopotamia, 
Egypt and Palestine and at Gallipoli and Salonika. 

More than a million Indians volunteered for military 
service during World War I and India’s fighting forces 
suffered 120,000 casualties. 

The Modern Indian Army. Starting in 1921, the Indian 
Army was reorganized, with infantry troops divided into 
19 regiments of roughly five battalions each; the cavalry 
was divided into groups of three regiments each. Each 
infantry regiment had one battalion set up whose sole 
job was to train new recruits. 

Also at this time some Indian officers were granted the 
King’s Commission and an Indian Military Academy to 
train Indian officers only, was established at Dehra Dun. 
The Indian Air Force was established during this period. 

In 1938 the Chatfield Committee, appointed by the 
British government to study this Indian Army and make 
recommendations, proposed that as far as military opera- 

39 


tions are concerned, India’s frontiers should be considered 
extended to Egypt on one side and Burma on the other. 
An external defense force for operations in these areas 
was organized. The committee also recommended that 
the whole of the cavalry be mechanized and the infantry, 
and other arms, equipped with modern weapons. 

At the beginning of the war, the Army of India con¬ 
sisted of 177,000 Indian troops and 43,000 British troops. 
New volunteers are being taken in as fast as they can be 
equipped. Since the war, India has sent about 300,000 
men to overseas fronts. 

In December 1940, an Indian division defeated the 
Italians at Sidi Barrani and took more than 20,000 prison¬ 
ers. The same division, plus another one, smashed Italian 
resistance in East Africa. In April 1941, an heroic Indian 
brigade, fresh from home, held a superior and heavier 
German force under General Rommel for 3 days, allow¬ 
ing Tobruk’s defenses to be manned. Besides Libya and 
East Africa, Indian troops took part in operations in 
Syria, Iraq, and Iran, and bore the brunt of the fighting 
in Malaya and Burma. 

KNOW YOUR ALLIES 

IN today’s Indian Army, there are three types of officers— 
European and Indian officers, who hold the King’s Com- 

40 


mission and wear the rank insignia of the regular British 
Army. These officers command, or are second in com¬ 
mand of companies and higher formations. The third 
group are holders of Viceroy’s Commission. Their ranks 
and insignia are as follows: 


Rank of Committloned Officers 


Cavalry 

Risaldar-Major 

Risaldar 

Jemadar 


Other branches 
Subadar-Major 
Subadar 
Jemadar 


Insignia, on red and 
yellow shoulder straps 

1 crown 

2 stars 
I star 


Rank of Noncommissioned Officers 


Cavalry 

Dafadar 

Dafadar 

Lance-dafadar 


Other branches 

Havildar 

Naik 

Lance-Naik 


Insignia, on the arm 
3 bar chevron 
2 bar chevron 
I bar chevron 


When addressing Viceroy’s commissioned officers say 
“Subedar Sahib” or “Risaldar Sahib” as a matter of 
courtesy. “Hey Buddy” is not the best way to approach 
either an officer or a noncom. 

INDIA AT WAR 

IN addition to her fighting forces, India is making other 
large contributions to the cause of the United Nations. 

41 



Her factories are producing small arms, fuses, hand gre¬ 
nades, land mines and shell cases. She is manufacturing 
millions of pieces of military clothing, boots, tents, para¬ 
chutes and tropical helmets. So it is fair to say that 
whatever political difficulties exist internally, India is 
backing the United Nations war effort to the best of her 
ability. 

One thing to remember. 

Our Job. Indians want Democracy to win. Some of the 
bitterest anti-totalitarians in the world are among the 
leaders of the Indian Nationalist movement. But Indian ' 
politics have been bitter and complicated. Sometimes 
political interests overshadow matters of national defense. 
That has been true in the other countries. 

India is threatened as we are threatened. Your very 







the common cause if you win their confidence and friend¬ 
ship. American democracy has been a source of inspira¬ 
tion to many Indian leaders. Our ideals, our way of 
living, give them hope for the future. It is up to you to 
live up to that idea they have of us. 

You as a soldier and as an American, have it in your 
power to make this possible. Remember that ancient 
India and young America are both fighting to make a 
free world. 

HEALTH AND SANITARY CONDITIONS 

YOU must always be on guard against the climate and 
sanitary conditions in India. 

The sun is dangerous. Keep your head and the back 
of your neck covered. Wear sunglasses. 

Watch your drinking water. Don’t touch it unless you 
know it has been boiled or chlorinated. Even bottled 















mineral water is unsafe unless you know it comes from 
a reliable manufacturer and that the bottle has not been 
refilled. The same goes for ice. 

Don’t eat fruit or vegetables unless they have been 
cooked or unless you have peeled them yourself. 

Dysentery can come from contamination resulting from 
human excrement. Watch what you eat and drink. Re¬ 
port to your medical officer whenever you have bowel 
trouble. It may quickly become dangerous in India. 

Avoid alcohol before sundown. It does not go with 
the intense Indian sun. 

Protect yourself against malaria. Follow your medical 
officer’s instructions in using quinine. Keep your legs and 
ankles covered at dusk and in the evening. Sleep under 
netting. The malarial mosquito hovers close to the 
ground, and does not buzz nor sting as it bites. Use 
insect ointment against the sandfly, a fever carrier. 

Rabies are common. Avoid strange dogs and jackals 
and obtain quick treatment if bitten. 

Venereal disease is present in virulent forms. Your 
best protection is to keep away from prostitutes. In event 
of exposure, obtain prophylactic treatment immediately. 
But better not take chances at all. 

Be careful about swimming. Crocodiles abound. Also 
deep water grass is dangerous. It coils around your legs 

44 


and pulls you down. Don’t swim unless you know about 
the water. If you do swim, wear trunks. Indians resent 
exposure of the body. 

Treat even the slightest cut or bruise promptly. 
Tetanus and many strange tropical infections make any 
break in the skin dangerous. Disinfect and bandage at 
once. Here again, you are not in America but in a 
strange country against whose infections you have not 
built up the immunity which Indians have acquired. 

Follow these precautions and you are likely, to remain 
healthy. Simply remember you are living under special 
conditions and not in America. 

People who follow these rules live years in India with¬ 
out illness. 

INDIAN CURRENCY 

I rupee = i6 annas, about 30 cents. 

I anna = a little less than 2 cents. 

I pice = 14 anna. 

I lakh = 100,000 rupees, $30,000. 

I crore = 100 lakhs, $3,000,000. 

(In daily living you will use mostly rupees and annas. 
For ordinary small tips one or two annas usually are 
sufficient. Inquire of friends who have lived in India as 
to customs in these matters.) 


45 


Weights. I seer = 2 %^ pounds, avoirdupois. 

40 seers i maund, 82% pounds, avoirdupois. 

(English weights and measures, similar to ours are 
commonly used in European shops.) 

Time. Railway time is counted from midnight up to 24. 
Standard time in India is 5V2 hours in advance of Green¬ 
wich time. 

DO’S AN D D ON’TS 

As in any strange place, don’t hesitate to ask questions. 
It may save you trouble. 

Be careful of sun, water, uncooked or unpeeled vege¬ 
tables and fruits. Don’t drink alcohol before sundown. 
Keep away from Indians while they are eating. Don’t 
touch their food or dishes, unless you are invited. 
Treat every cow with respect. If you injure one, be sure 
everything is adjusted before you leave the scene. 
Don’t expose your person. 

Keep your head covered and wear sunglasses. 

Be polite. Keep good-humored. Above all, never strike 
an Indian, no matter what the provocation. 

Avoid any expression of race prejudice. 

Avoid comments on Indian government, politics, and 
customs. 


46 


Keep away from Indian mosques and temples. 

Use common sense on all occasions. By your conduct you 
can bring about better understanding. Every American 
soldier is an ambassador of good will. Remember you 
are in India to help defeat the Axis. Stick to that job. 

HINTS ON PRONOUNCING HINDUSTANI 

HINDUSTANI is only one of the many languages 
spoken in India, but it is spoken by the largest number of 
Indian people. If you know it and English you can get 
along almost anywhere. 

There is nothing difficult about Hindustani—except 
that you won’t be able to read some signs and newspapers 
you will see. That is because they use different alphabets 
from ours. But when this occurs all the signs are written 
in English, too. So not being able to read Hindustani 
needn’t worry you. 

Anyhow, the instructions and vocabulary below are 
given in a simplified system of representing the language 
as it sounds. This system contains letters for the sounds 
you must make to be understood, and, for the sake of 
simplicity, it overlooks some distinctions in pronuncia¬ 
tion. However, try to imitate the pronunciation of natives 
as closely as you can, and never let the written form stand 

47 


in the way of your getting a pronunciation as nearly as 
possible like that of the people you hear around you. 

Here are a few simple points to help you: 

I. Accents. You know what the accented syllable of a 
word is, of course. It is the part of a word that is spoken 
louder than the rest. The most important thing in Hindu¬ 
stani is not to slight any syllable. The accent itself is fairly 
even, so that in a given word sometimes one syllable may 
sound louder and sometimes another. However, it may 
be easier for you to get the “feel” of the words if you 
accent the syllables which we have shown in capital 
letters. 


2. Vowels. 


A 

or 

a 

equals 

a sound half-way between the a of father 
and the ti of cut. It is always made quite 
short because if you draw it out it will 
sound like aa. Example: SAT-tra mean¬ 





ing “seventeen”. 

AA 

or 

aa 

equals 

the a of father but longer. Example: A A] 
meaning “today”. 

AI 

or 

ai 

equals 

a drav/led sound like the ai of hair or the 
a of am. Example: hai meaning “is”. 

AW 

or 

aw 

equals 

a sound like the ow of now. Example: 
PAW-nay meaning “quarter of”. At times 
it sounds to our ears more like the aw of 


law. 


48 


AY 

or 

ay 

equals 

the ay of day. Example: AYK meaning 
“one”. 

E 

or 

e 

equals 

the e of pet, made very short. Example: 
ba-HEN meaning “sister”. 

EE 

or 

ec 

equals 

the ee in seed. Example: MEEL meaning 
“mile”. 


or 

i 

equals 

the i of pit, made very short. Example: 
KIT-na meaning “how much”. 

0 

or 

o 

equals 

a sound about like o in go. Example: 
GOSHT meaning “meat”. DO (pro¬ 
nounced like dough) meaning “two”. 

oo 

or 

oo 

equals 

the oo in food. Example: SOOKH mean¬ 
ing “Friday”. 

u 

or 

u 

equals 

the u of put. Example: PUL meaning 
“bridge”. 


3 - Vowels pronounced thru the nose. In certain Hin¬ 
dustani words the vowels are pronounced thru the nose. 
This is ind icated by a wavy line over letters like AA, 
O, 00 , EE, AY, AI. To get the idea of the sound, hold 
your nose and say MOO —the way a cow goes. You have 
just pronounced the Hindustani word for “mouth”, 
which we shall write MOO. In English we often use a 
vowel pronounced through the nose in expressions like 
huh, uh-uh, uh-huh. The uh in these expressions, if 
drawled out long, is about like the AA in Hindustani 
words like A A] meaning “today”. 

Remember, whenever you see the wavy line, pronounce 
the vowel through the nose. 


49 


4- Consonants. The letters used for Hindustani con¬ 
sonants are to be pronounced with their usual values in 
English. Pronounce them all clearly. 

Hindustani also has some special consonants that are like 
the same consonants in English but with a strong puff of 
breath after them. These are written with an h as follows; 


bh 

or 

BH 

equals 

the b and h of cab-horse. Example: 
BHAA-ee meaning “brother”. 

dh 


DH 

equals 

the d and h of mad-house. Example: 
an-DHAY-ra meaning “darkness”. 

gh 

or 

GH 

equals 

the g and h of dog-house. Example: 
GHO-ra meaning “horse”. 

jh 

or 

JH 

equals 

the dg and h of bridgehead. Example: 
JHEEL meaning “lake”. 

ph 

or 

PH 

equals 

the p and h of up-hill. Example: PHAL 
meaning “fruit”. 

th 

or 

TH 

equals 

the t and h of frat-house. NOT the th 
of thin or then. Example: SAATH mean¬ 
ing “sixty”. 

kh 

or 

KH 

equals 

the ^ and h of dock,-hand. Example: 
KHAA-na meaning “to eat”. 

chh 

or 

CHH 

equals 

the ch and h of church-house. Example: 
CHHO-ta meaning “small”. 


In English we pronounce p and t and \ with a puff of 
hreath whenever they come at the beginning of a word 
or at the beginning of an accented syllable. Hold your 
hand about an inch in front of your mouth and say pin. 

50 



You will feel the rush of breath that goes with the p. 
Now say spin. You feel just a very little amount of breath; 
the p has none. The breathy p is like the ph of Hindu¬ 
stani, except that the Hindustani ph is somewhat stronger 
than our p in pin. In the same way, the Hindustani th is 
like the / of English tin, Hindustani \h like our ^ in \in. 

You may have trouble learning to say the puffless p’s, 
t’s, and l(s in words like PAA-nee (meaning “water”), 


51 




















TEEN (meaning “three*’) and ^ in DO KOS (meaning 
“two kos”—a measure of distance). They may sound at 
times more like b's, d’s, and gs. If you don’t get them, 
people may still guess what you are trying to say. Do the 
best you can and let it go at that. 

A note about w. Some people pronounce a in the 
words we have written with w. This pronunciation is, 
however, considered high-toned and some people will 
laugh at it. An ordinary w sound is best. 

Another note. —Make your voice slide between the 
letters any syllables connected by the little curved lines. 
(Example: KYAA meaning “what”). 

LIST OF MOST USEFUL WORDS AND PHRASES 

HERE is a list of the most useful words and phrases 
you will need in Hindustani. You should learn these by 
heart. 




Greetings and General Phrases 

English —Simplified Hindustani Spelling 


Good day — na-MAS-tay or 
a-DAAB arz or sa-LAAM 
You—AA£ 

Yes—HAA 
No—na-HES 
Please— me-her-BAA-nee 
Excuse me —MAAF KAR-yay 
Thank you— SHUK-ree-a 
Do you understand me? —AAP 
muj-HAY sa-MAJ-tay HAI 


1 don’t understand —MAI na-. 
HEE sa-MAJ-ta 

Please speak slowly— DHEE-ray- 
say BOL-yay 
Brother— BHAA-ee 
Horse— GHO-ra 
SmzW-CHHO-ta 
Sixiy—SAATH 
Seven —SAAT 


Location 


Where (is)— \a-HAA hai 

a hotel,— HO-tal or sa-RAA-ee' 
Wher^is a hotel?— HO-tal ka- 
HAA hai or sa-RAA-ee I{a- 
HAA hai 

a toilet— ta-TEE-ghar 


Where is a ^toilet?— ta-TEE- 
ghar f{a-HAA hai 
Where is a restaurant?— res-to- 
RAA h^a-HAA hai 
Where is the railroad station?— 
“railway station” f{a-HAA hai 


Directions 


Turn nght-da-hee-NAY HAAT 
GHOO-mo ^ ^ 

Turn \ tit —baa-AY HAAT 
GHOO-mo 


Straight ahead— SEE-dhay 
Please point — i-SHAA-ray-say 
ba-TAA deej-YAY 


If you are driving and ask the distance to another town it will 
be given you in miles or kps. 


53 


A kfis equals between two and two and a half miles. 

One mile—^YA: MEEL Six miles—CHHAI MEEL or 

DO KOS 

Numbers 

Eleven— G^AA-ra 
Twelve— BAA-ra 
Thirteen— T AY-ra 
Fourteen— CHA W-da 
Fifteen— PAND-ra 
Sixteen— SO-la 
Seventeen— SAT-tra 
Eighteen— at-THAA-ra 
N i neteen— un-NEES 
Twenty— BEES 

Designation 

What’s that—ITO KJYAA HAI 
I want—muj-HAY CUAA-hee-YAY 
1 want cigarettes— mtij-HAY cigarette CHAA-hee-YAY 
to eat— KHAA-na 

I want to eat— muj-HAY KHAA-na CHAA-hee-Y AY 

Foods 

Bread— RO-tee Steak (only in cities)— STAYK 

European Bread— DA-bal RO-tee Meat— GOSHT 

Fruit— PHAL Potatoes— AA-loo 

Water— PAA-nee Rice— CHAA-wal 

Eggs— AN-da Beans (lima)— SAYM 

54 


One—AY K 
Two —DO 
Three—TEEAT 
Four —CHAAR 
¥\\e—PAACH 
Six—CHHAl 
Seven —SAAT 
Eight—AATH 
Hine—NAW 
Ten —DAS 


Fish— MAT-chhee 

Salad (only in cities)— sa-LAAD 

Ux\k—DOODH 

^tcr—BEER 

To find out how much things 

(of) this— is'KAY 
What—_ 

Price is —DAAM hai 


A glass of beer—^YA: GLAAS 
BEER 

A cup of coffee—^YA: PJYAA- 
la KAA-fee kjxa 

you say: 

How much does this cost?— 
is-KAY K YAA DAAM 


Money 

rupee— ROO-pee-Y AA pais— PAI-sa 

anna— AA-na 

Time 


What time is it?— K^AA ba- 
JEE HAI ^ 

Ten minutes past four —CHAAR 
baj-KAY das MlN-at 
Quarter past— SA-wa 
Quarter past five— SA-wa 
PAACH ba-JEE hai 
Half pzsi-SAAR-HAY 
Half past six —SAAR-H AY 
CHHAI 

Hal^past one—DAYR-ba-JEE 
hai 

Half past two— DHAA-ee ba- 
JEE hai 

Twenty past seven —SAAT baj- 
KAY BEES MIN-at 


Twenty of eight —AATH baj- 
NAY f^o BEES MIN-at 
Quarter of— PAW-nay 
Quarter of nine — PAW-nay 
NAW ba-JEE hai. 

Ten minutes to three —TEEN 
baj-NAY k .0 das MIN-at 
At what time —KAI ba-JAY 
the movie— SIN-a-ma 
starts — shu-ROO ho-TAA 
hai 

At what time does the movie 
start?— SIN-a-ma KAI ba-JAY 
shu-ROO ho-TAA hai 
The train— "rail” GAA-ree 
leave—JAA-tee 


55 


At what time docs the train Today —AAJ 
leave? —"rair GAA-ree KAl Tomorrow —KAL 

ba-JAY JAA-tee hai 


Day* of the Week 


Monday —SOM WAAR 


Sunday —IT WAAR 


Thursday—JUM-a RAAT 
Friday— JUM-a or SOOK-ra 


Tuesday— MANG-gal 
Wednesday —BUDH 


WAAR or SOOKH 
Saturday— sa-NEE-char 


Usoful Phrases 


What is your name? —AAP ka NAAM K^AA hai 
My name is John. — MAY-ra NAAM John hai 

How do you say table in Hindustani? —AAP table f{o hin-doo- 
STAA-nee MAYJC YAA Kah-TAY h^ 

Good bye— n'^-MAS-tay 


NOTES 


USE na-MAS-tay to Hindus but not to Moslems. A re¬ 
fined way of greeting a Moslem is sa-LAAM a-LAl-i{um 
“peace with you.” Hindus among themselves frequently 
say RAAM RAAM (meaning “God God”). If you don’t 
know whether the person is Hindu or Moslem, say 
sa-LAAM SAA-hib. ^ 

In addition to the word HAA for “yes,” you can also 
use JEE. 

Another way to say “excuse me” is MAAF ^ee-JAY. 


56 


In thanking a person one sometimes says mai SHUK 
ree-ya a-DAA \ar-TAA HOO “I offer you thanks.” 

In the expression given for “I don’t understand,” the 
word HOO may be added at the end. 

For “please speak slowly,” you can also say AA-his-ta- 
say BOL-yay. 

As in English, there are various ways of speaking ot a 
toilet. In addition to the one given, PAA KHAA-na is 
also used. 

For “I want” you can also say MAI CHAA-ha-ta HOO. 
“I want to eat” may be said KHAA-na CHAA-ha-ta 
HOO. 

For “good-bye,” you will also hear KHU-da HA-ftz. 


ADDITIONAL WORDS AND PHRASES 
Natural Objacts 


bank (of stream)— nad-DEE-^aa 
ki-NAA-ra 

darkness— an-DHAY-ra 
daytime— DIN WAKT 

desert— RAY-gis-taan or SA-ha- 
ra 

field (open space)— mai-DAAN 

field (cultivated)— 

fire— 

forest or ]\ing\G^JANG-gal 
grass— GHAAS 


the ground— za-MEEN 
spring (water-hole, etc.) — 
CHASH-ma 

star— TAA-ra or STAA-ra 

canal— ne-HAR 

gully (ravine)— NAA-la 

valley— GHAA-tee or WAA-dee 

hill— pa-haa-REE 

ice or snow— BARF 

pond— taa-LAAB 

lake—y//££L 


57 


the moon —CHAAD 
mountain— pa-HAAR 
the ocean (sea)— sa-MAN-dar 
rain—ba-RISH or MAYH 
river— DAR-ya 

s tr ea m —n ad-DEE 
the sun— SOO-raj 
mud or slush— KEE-char 
swamp— DAL-dal 
wind— HA-wa 


Time 

day —DIN morning— SU-bha or sa-WAY-ra 

day after tomorrow— PAR-so night —RAAT 

day before yesterday— PAR-so week— HAF-ta 


evening —SHAAM 
month— ma-HEE-na 

year— BA-ras or SAAL 
yesterday or tomorrow —KAL 


Relationships 

family— gha-RAA-na man— AAD-mee or MARD or 


boy or son— LAR-t^a 
child— BAT-cha 
daughter or girl— LAR-k.ee 
father —BAAP 

in-SAAN _ 
mother —MAA 
sister— ba-HEN 
son— BAY-ta 
woman— AW-rat 


Human Body 


arms— BAA-zoo 
body —JISM or BA-dan 
back—PEETH 
cyt—AAK 
finger —U NG-glee 
foot —PAIR or PAA-oo 
hand—HAATH 
hair —BAAL 

neck— GAR-dan 
head —SAR 
tar—KAiN 
\tg—TAANG 
mouth —MOO 
nos^NA£K 
teeth —DAAT 

toe— PAA-ob kpe UNG-glee 

58 

■ 


House and Furniture 


P'- bed — CHAAR-paa-ee or pa- 
f LANG 

blanket— KAM-bal 
mosquito net — mat-CHHAR 
(laa-NEE 
chair— KUR-see 
door— dar-W AA-za 
drinking water— PEE-nay 
PAA-nee 

■if room— KAM-ra * 

’ house —GHAR 
, kitchen— BAA-war-chee KHAA- 
’• na 


stairs— SEER-hi-yda' 
ladder— ZEE-na 

stove (cooking place)— CHOOL- 
ha 

table—M^YZ 

bathroom — na - HAA-nay k.aa 
KAM-ra or GO-sal KHAA-na 
vizW-dee-WAAR 
water for washing— DHO-nay 
kaa PAA-nee 
soap— SAA-ban 
towel —T OL-ya 
window— KHIR-^ee 


Food and Drink—Tobacco 


■ butter— MA-kJian or MAS-kjn 
buttermilk— 

'f sour milk— da-HEE 
tangerine— na-rang-GEE 
oranges— SAN-ta-ra 
watermelon— tar-BOOZ 
cantelope— KHAR-boo-za 
f^gs-tn-JEER 
bananas— KAY-lay 
dates— l{ha-JOOR 
* turnips— shel-JAM 
tomatoes— ti-MAA-tar 
J (ood—KHAA-na 


salt— NA-maf{ 

sugar— SHA-/{ar or CHEE-nee 
cheese— pa-NEER 
grapes— ang-GOOR 
lemon— LEE-moo or NEE-boo 
tea— CHAA-ay 
liquor— sha-RAAB 
grape wine— ang-GOO-ree sha- 
RAAB 

cigars— si-GAAR or cha-ROOT 
or CHU-rat 

native tobacco wrapped in 
leaf— BEE-ree 


tobacco (in cakes for use with matches— MAA-ches 

charcoal waterpipe) — t am - 
BAA-k .00 , 

Surrounding* 


village— GAA-oo 

path (or way)— RAAS-ta 

city— SHA-har 

road or street— SA-raf{ 

bridge— PUL 

Hindu temple— man-DlR 

post office— DAAK KHAA-na or police station— THAA-na 

“post office” 

market— baa-ZAAR 

church— gir-JAA 

store or shop— DU-kjaan 

mosque— MAS-jid 

vfeW—KOO-aa 


Animal* 

animal— -J A AN-war 

donkey (burro, jackass)— GA 

bird— PA-rin-da 

dha 

chicken— CHOO-za 

mule— KHACH-ar 

rooster— MOOR-ga 

ox or bull— BAIL 

hen— MOOR-gee 

cow— GAA-ay 

duck— BAT-takh 

goat— BAK-ree 

camel—OOT 

sheep—BHAYR 

rabbit— /{har-GOSH 

pig— SOO-ar 

mouse, rat— CHOO-ha 

snake— SAAP 


ln*oct* 

ants— CHEEV-tay 

lice—yoo 

bedbugs— KHAT-mal 

scorpion— bit-CHHOO 

fleas— MAK-f{li_jydd 

centipede— KHAN-/{ha-JOO-ra 

mosquitoes— mat-CHHAR 

spider— mal^-REE 


60 


Trades and Occupations 


doctor— DAAK-tar 
native physician— ha-KEEM or 
ta-BEEB 

carpenter— bar-HA-ee or KHAA- 
tee 

blacksmith— Iti-HAAP 
mechanic— MlS-ta-ree 
laundryman— DHO-bee 
farmer— f{i-SAAN 


barber— NAA-ee or had-JAAM 
butcher— l{a-SAA-ee or GOSHT 
WA-la 

cook— baa-WAR-chee or kjmn- 
SAA-ma 

shoemaker—M 0 -chee 
tailor— DAR-zee 
porter— 

policeman— SPAA-hee 


Numbers, 


twenty— BEES 
twenty-one— IK~\ees 
twenty-two— BAA-ees 
twenty-three— TAY-ees 
twenty-four— CHAW-bees 
twenty-five— PAT-chees 
twenty-six— CHAB-beis 
twenty-seven— sat-T AA-ees 
twenty-eight— at-TH AA-ees 
twenty-nine —u - NAT - tees or 
UN-tees 
thirty— TEES 
thirty-one— i-KAT-tees 
thirty-two— BAT-tees 
thirty-three— T AY-tees 
thirty-four— CHAW-tees 
thirty-five— P^-tees 
thirty-six— CHHAT-tees 


thirty-seven— SAl-tees 
thirty-eight— AR-tees 
thirty-nine— un-T AA-lees 
forty— CH AA-lees 
forty-one— AA-lees 
forty-two— ba-Y AA-lees 
forty-three—-/^-T AA-lees 
forty-four— ch^-W AA-lees 
forty-five— pai-T AA-lees 
forty-six— chhe-AA-lees 
forty-seven— sai-T AA-lees 
forty-e’ight— ar-T A A -lees 
forty-nine— u - NAN - cbaas or 
UN-chaas 
fifty— pa-CHAAS 
fifty-one— il{-Y AA-wan 
fifty-two— BAA-wan 
fifty-three— ta-RAY-pan 


61 


fifty-four— CHA-wan 
fifty-five— PACH-pan 
fifty-six— CHHAP-pan 
fifty-seven— sat-T AA-wan 
fifty-eight— at-T H AA-wan 
fifty-nine— UN-sath 
sixty— SAATH 
sixty-one— iK-sath 
sixty-two— BAA-sath 
sixty-three— ta-RAY-sath 
sixty-four— CHAW-sath 
sixty-five— PAl-sath 
sixty-six— chhe-AA-sath 
sixty-seven— SAR-sath 
sixty-eight— AR-sath 
sixty-nine— u-NAT-tar 
seventy— SAT-tar 
seventy-one— i\-KHAT-tar 
seventy-two— ba-HAT-tar 
seventy-three— tay-HAT-tar 
seventy-four— chaw-HAT-tar 
seventy-five— pi-CHHAT-tar 
seventy-six— chhe-HAT-tar 
seventy-seven— sa-T AT-tar 
seventy-eight— a-T HAT-tar 
seventy-nine— ti-NAA-see 
eighty— AS-see 
eighty-one— if^-YAA-see 
eighty-two— ba-YAA-see 
eighty-three— tay-RAA-see 


eighty-four— chaw-RAA-see 
eighty-five— pich-Y AA-see 
eighty-six— chhe-Y AA-see 
eighty-seven— sat-T AA-see 
eighty-eight— at-T H AA-see 
eighty-nine— na-WAA-see or 
u-N AA-na-bay 
ninety— NA-way or NA-bay 
ninety-one — tl^-Y AAN-way or 
i^-Y AA-na-bay 

ninety-two — be-YAAN-way or 
BAA-na-bay 

ninety-three— tay-RAAN-way or 
tay-RAA-na-bay 

ninety-/our— chaw -RAAN - way 
or chaw-AA-na-bay 
ninety-five— pich-Y AAN-way or 
pach-Y AA-na-bay 
ninety-six— chhe-Y AAN-way or 
chha-Y AA-na-bay 
ninety-seven— sat-T AAN-way or 
sat-T AA-na-bay 

ninety-eight— at-T AAN-way or 
at-T AA-na-bay 

ninety-nine— nin-NAAN-way or 
nin-Y AA-na-bay 
one hundred— SAW 
a thousand— ha-ZAAR 
first— PE-he-la 
second— DO OS-r a 


third— TEES-ra 
fourth —CHA W-tha 
fifth— PAACH-waa 
sixth— CHHA-ta 
seventh— SAAT-waS 


eighth —A AT H-wda' 
ninth— na-WAA 
tenth— DAS-waa 
eleventh— AAR-waa 
twelfth— BAAR-wdd' 


January— JAN-wa~ree 
February— FAR-wa-ree 
Uzreh—MAARCH 
April— AAP-rail 
May— MA-ee 
June—yOOAT 


belt— PAY-tee 
coat— “coat” 
gloves— das-T AA-nay 
hat— TO-pee or “hat” 
necktie— “necktie” 


Months 

July— JOO-laa-ee 
August— a-GAST 
September —ST AM-bar 
October— AK-too-bar 
November— no-WEM-bar 
December— di-SAM-bar 

Clothing 

shirt— k^t'MEEZ 
shoes— JOO-tay 

socks— MO-zay or jur-RAA-bdy 
trousers— pat-LOON 
undershirt— ban-YAAN 


Adjectives 


hhck-KAA-la 

white— sa-FAID or UJ-la 

red —LAAL 

blue— NEE-la 

green— HA-ra or SABZ 

yellow—Fff'/fl or ZARD 

high— 00 -cha 

low— NEE-cha 


deep— GA-he-ra 

shallow— GA-he-ra na-HEE hat 

cold— THAN-da or SARD 

hot or warm —GARM 

wet— GEE-la 

dry— SOO-kha^ 

expensive^— MAI-he-ga 

cheap— SAS-ta 


63 


em pty —KH A A -lee 
inW-BHA-ra 
good, well— AT-chha 
bad— BU-ra 
big— BA-ra 

small or short— CHHO-ta 
long or tall— LAM-ba 
heavy— bhaa-KEE 
Yig\xx.—HAL-ka 


old (animals, persons) —BUD 
dha 

young— ja-WAAN 

new— nay-Y A A 

clean —SAAF or SUT-ran 

dirty— GAN-da or ra-LEEZ 

sick— bee-MAAR 

lame— LANG-ra 

hungry— BHOO-^a 

thirsty —P YAA-sa 


Pronouns* etc. 


we—HAM 

he or she or it or they —WO 

my— MAY-ra 

our— ha-MAA-ra 

your— AAP-f{a or tum-HAA-ra 

Wxs-US-ka 

their— VN-f^a 

this or these —YAY 

that or those —WO 


Who?—K AWN 
which?— KAWN-sa 
.what?— 

how much?— KIT-na or KIS-/{a 
dar 

how many?— KIT-nay 
how far?— KIT-nee DOOR 
anyone— KO-ee 


Adverbs 


some—KUCHH 
above— 00 -par 
again —PHIR 
behind— PEE-chhay 
below— NEE-chay 
far—DO Oi? 
beside, near —PAAS 
here— ya-HAA 


in front— AA-gay or SAAM-nay 
less —KAM or THO-ra 
moxe-ZJfAA-da or AWR 
near —PAAS or naz-DEEK 
North— UT-tar or shi-MAAL 
South— DAK-k.han or ju-NOOB 
East— POO-rab or MASH-rik. 
West— PAT-chhan or MAG-rib 


64 


on that side— us-TA^raf 
on this side— is-TA-raf 
the re— wa-HA A 

very— baw-HAT ^ 

where ?— f{a-HAA 
when ?— 
why?—^YO 
how ?— KlS-tar-ha 
before— PE-ha-lay 
because— KYO-l^^ay or CHOO- 
f^ay 


enough— KAA-fee or BAS 
immediately— PAW-ran 
like or similar— YAK-saa 
now —AB 

not yet— a-BHEE na-HEE 
(\u\ck\y—JAL-dee-say 
soon—JALD or JAL-dee 
nnxx\—JAP-tal{ 
without— ba-GAlR or 


st-WAA-ay 

Conjunctions 


ind—AW R 
but— MA-gar 


if— A-gar 
or—YAA 


Useful phrases 


What day is today? —AAJ 
- K^A 4 dm hai 
’ Today is the fifth of June— 
AA} Pa 7 cH JOON hai or 
AAJ JOON-kee PAACH-wPe- 
hai 

Today is Tuesday —AAJ mang- 
GAL hai 

Come here— ya-HAA AA-o 
or (more politely)— ya-HA/l 
aa-EE-yay 

Come quickly— JAL-dee AA-o 
or JAL-dee aa-EE^yay 


Wh(^are yon}—AAP KAWN 
hai 

What do you want? —AAP 
KJAA CHAA-ha-tay h^ 

Bring some drinking water— 
THO-ra PEE-nay kjia PAA- 
nee LAl-yay 

Bring some food —kjnchh KHAA- 
na LAI-yay 

Where is water?— PAA-nee l(a- 
HAA hai 

How far is the water?— PAA- 
nee KIT-nee DOOR hai 



65 


How far is the camp? —KAIMP 
KIT-nee DOOR hai 
Where is the nearest village?— 
sab-SAy^ PA AS ka GAA-od 
ka-HAA hai 

Whose house is this? —YAY his- 
KAA ghar hai 
Where can I sleep? —MAT 
HA^ SO sah'taa-HOO 
Wait a minute —AYK MlN-at 
thai-RO 


Stop— ruh-JAA-o 
Be careful or Watch out— KHA- 
bar DAAR 

I haven’t any money— MAY-ray 
PAAS ROOP-ya na-hee hai 
1 have cigarettes — MAY-ray 
PAAS cigarette hai 
I am an An^rican —MAI IM- 
ree-han HOO ^ 

I am your friend —MAT TUM- 
haa-raa-DOST HOO 


66 



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